Sycamore has four possible redistricting plans

Sycamore School Board members Jean Staubach, Diane Adamec and Ken Richter listen to Superintendent Adrienne James present the results of the study conducted by the Redistricting Committee to deal with overcrowding at Montgomery Elementary School.
(Photo:
Marika Lee/ The Community Press
)Buy Photo

After spending months trying to find the best way to relieve overcrowding at Montgomery Elementary School, the Redistricting Committee has four redistricting scenarios.

Sycamore Community Schools Superintendent Adrienne James presented the results of the study conducted by the Redistricting Committee at the board’s meeting Feb. 6.

Because of overcrowding at Montgomery Elementary School the district is working on plans to move about 100 students to either Maple Dale Elementary School or Symmes Elementary School.

The last time the schools were redistricted was in 2003, when students from Maple Dale were moved into the newly constructed Montgomery Elementary to balance out the enrollment in the two schools, James said.

Now, Montgomery’s student population has risen to 582 students, while Maple Dale has 418. Symmes has 453 students and Blue Ash, which would get no new students from the redistricting, has 490.

“This is a problem for us, when I say a problem I mean that in a positive sense. We are pleased that Sycamore Community Schools continues to be a district that is attractive to people,” James said

To combat the overcrowding, Montgomery Elementary has turned a computer lab and office space into classrooms. Also, students have special subjects – art, gym and music – on a six-day rotation instead of a five-day rotation like at the other elementary schools.

The committee, which is made up of James, members of the administrations and the principals at the elementary schools, came up with four possible scenarios. The committee looked at birth rate, residential development, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity and parental concerns, such as keeping neighborhoods together, to come up with the four options.

For the first scenario, students living in the West Montgomery Road area and Hazelwood East area will be moved to Maple Dale and students in the Montgomery Towne area will be moved to Symmes.

For the second, students in the West Montgomery Road area, Hazelwood East area and Jones Farm area will be moved to Maple Dale and Montgomery Towne area and Morgan’s Trace area will be moved to Symmes.

For the third, the West Montgomery Road area and the Jones Farm area will be moved to Maple Dale and Montgomery Towne area and Morgan’s Trace area will be moved to Symmes.

For the fourth, the West Montgomery Road area and Hazelwood East area will be moved to Maple Dale and the Montgomery Towne area and Tanager Woods area will be moved to Symmes.

Regardless of which plan is finally chosen, 49 preschoolers will be moved from Symmes to the new preschool and kindergarten wing in Maple Dale. Maple Dale is under construction and the rebuilding of the school was designed to accommodate for more students moving into the school.

James said the goal is to have between 475 and 525 students in each building, which have three kindergarten classrooms and five classrooms for grades one to four.

“So, we could eliminate the need to draw the boundaries in the near future. It is very important to us to not have to keep doing this. Nobody enjoys it,” James said.

For each of the plans, the populations at each of the schools would be in that range within five years. Board Member John Mercurio said he is concerned with the significant drop in population that would happen with the fourth option.

Board Member Jean Staubach said the district should be careful with shifting students around too much.

“We need immediate relief, but we don’t want to go too far and then realize we have gone too far. We need to go far enough and then maybe three years from now do a tiny tweak like we have done in the past,” Staubach said.

James said the committee’s numbers does not account for families who choice to take the grandfather option, which is only available to students who will be fourth graders next year. For the option, incoming fourth-graders are able to choose to stay at Montgomery for their last year before moving onto Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School. If the grandfathered students have younger siblings at Montgomery, they can also be included in the grandfathering for one year.

James said she expects the number of students to take the grandfather option to be low, because the district will not be providing transportation for them.

Parents at the meeting expressed concerns about how the redistricting would change busing and how students with individualize education plans would be effected.

James said transportation costs and changes are something the committee is still looking into. Transportation Director Melissa Horning said for the first three options the buses would move with the students, but for option four another bus might be needed. James said the IEP teachers from all the schools would be deciding the best course of action for those students and it would be determined on an individual basis.

Board President Ken Richter said he thought the committee coming up with one plan of action to present to the board Feb. 19, when the plan will be voted on, would be fine as long as it is explained why the other three were not chosen.

James said once the redistricting plan is in place the district will work to make the transition smooth for students and parents.

“Whatever emotions (parents) are dealing with right now make sure they are not impacting your children because nothing has been confirmed. What you do, how you take this and project this is going to have a profound effect on your kids and how they acclimate to their new school,” James said.